Shorten won't intervene in Melbourne port dispute

Federal Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten says he has no intention of intervening in a stoush brewing on Melbourne's waterfront.

Stevedoring company DP World says workers will be locked out for a further day if they follow through with a planned 24-hour strike next week.

Late last year Mr Shorten intervened in a dispute between the Maritime Union and the stevedoring company POAGS when it locked out workers in New South Wales and Western Australia.

But he says he does not want to micro-manage the situation in Melbourne.

"Both parties have advised that they don't think the negotiations have been exhausted yet," he said.

"At this stage nobody is indicating any desire for arbitration, so I think it's appropriate to allow people to negotiate.

"I'm not going to micro-manage every negotiation that goes on. I know that the negotiations which have disputes attract more media attention than the far greater number of negotiations which go on without disputation.

"In terms of the issue between the stevedoring company and the workforce working for the stevedoring company, they've both got strongly held positions; both parties have advised that they don't think the negotiations have been exhausted yet.

"At this stage no-one's indicating any desire for arbitration. So I think it's appropriate to allow people to negotiate.

"What you've got to understand is that if parties see a value for assistance then we're able to assist.

"If parties believe that negotiations haven't run their full course, well you've got to respect that judgement."

Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott says it is important for the Government to address what he describes as an increasing rate of industrial disputation.

"It's important to try to ensure that we have as far as is humanely possible a strife-free workplace," he said.

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